Universal automatic ware loading machine



March 31, 1964 c. w. SCHREIBER 3,127,210

UNIVERSAL AUTOMATIC WARE LOADING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 8, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEYS March 31, 1964 c. w. SCHREIBER 3,127,210

UNIVERSAL AUTOMATIC WARE LOADING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 8, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 i/ L1 INVENTOR.

,9 v I BY%/ ATTORNEYS March 31, 1964 c. w. SCHREIBER 3,127,210

UNIVERSAL AUTOMATIC WARE LOADING MACHINE AT ORNEYS March 31, 1964 c. w. SCHREIBER 3,127,210

UNIVERSAL AUTOMATIC WARE LOADING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 8, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 v f/ e Q14 642M,

ATTORNEYS March 31, 964 c. w. SCHREIBER 3,127,210

UNIVERSAL AUTOMATIC 'WARE LOADING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 8, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. 09a fiAQV/(f/E? United States Patent Ofiice 3,127,210 Patented Mar. 31, 1964 3,127,210 UNIVERSAL AUTGMATIC WARE LOADING MACHINE Carl W. Schreiher, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Griginal application Get. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 845,262. Divided and this application Aug. 6, 1%2, Ser. No. 215,107

3 Claims. (Ci. 294-416) The present invention relates to apparatus for loading glassware delivered from a forming machine to a rotary machine, such as a burn-off machine. The glassware, such as a tumbler, as formed on the forming machine, has an integral excess quantity of glass defining the open end of the article. This excess is known in the art as the moil which is to be later burned off in a burn-oif machine, thereby forming the finished rim at the open end of the finished article of glassware.

The present application is a divisional of my earlier application, Serial No. 845,262, filed October 8, 1959.

in the present day manufacture of this glassware, the various types of burn-off machines include a rotary carriage having mounted thereon a series of circumferentially spaced burners. In one type of such machine, there are a number of inverted holding chucks corresponding to the burners which are positioned and aligned above the burners and vertically movable with respect to the burners. The bottom of the Ware is placed in the chucks so that the ware is suspended in inverted fashion with the moil lowermost. The chuck is rotated and lowered to insert the moil into the burner to the proper elevation, and the moil is burned off. The finished piece of glassware is then elevated by the chuck and discharged from the machine at a point in the rotary travel of the machine carriage. An example of a burn-01f machine utilizing such an arrangement is disclosed in US. Patent No. 1,757,211.

Another type of burn-off machine has its chucks in an upright position aligned under overhead burners. The ware with its moil attached is loaded to the chuck in upright fashion and moved into the burner. The moil in this case may be grasped and stretched during severance. An example of the type burn-oif chuck arrangement is disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,215,980.

Loading the chucks of the burn-off machine has heretofore been performed predominately by hand transfer. After the ware is formed on the forming machine, it is generally removed from the latter by a rotary take-out apparatus and transferred to a straight line conveyor. This conveyor extends to a region near the location of the burn-off machine. An operator is stationed at this region to remove the ware from the conveyor and transfer it to the chucks of the burn-off machine. The transfer is effected by the operator gripping the ware, usually along its body portion, by a pair of hand-operated tongs. Experience has taught that this type loading causes defects known as flats and tong marks.

There are ware handling machines presently adaptable for loading ware to the burn-off machine, but each of the known machines also possesses several objectionable features. Foremost of these, the Ware handling apparatus employs tongs which grip the ware at some point along the body portion. Such apparatus is prone to also cause the aforementioned defects of flats and tong marks, as well as bottom defects. Since the glass is still in a hot state, this handling is capable of imparting surface blemishes, often to the extent of off-ware defects, on a portion of the ware to be in the finished article after burn-off. Also, the machines, in order to keep up with high speed production, employ erratic movements and subject the ware to severe treatment, and do not provide accurate synchronism and registration features for transfer efficiently without jam-up. Accordingly, use of the prior art machines will yield an unusually high rate of oil-ware through handling.

It is, therefore, an important object of the invention to provide a ware loading apparatus for transferring ware traveling in upright position on a horizontal conveyor to the holding chucks of a burn-off machine, and overcome the above objectionable features by effecting a smooth and efficient handling of ware Without grasping with the handling apparatus any portion of the ware to be in the finished article after burn-01f; whereby, the prior defects arising from hand transfer, especially flats and tong marks, are eliminated, and production efficiency is increased.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a universal ware transfer apparatus which will operate automatically to transfer ware from a horizontal support, such as a conveyor, to the chucks of a burn-off machine, such apparatus, by a relatively simple alteration, being adaptable for use with either of the aforementioned types of burn-off machines. Toward this end, the invention contemplates the provision of a series of ware pick-up devices on a rotary turret which will operate to grip the ware by its moil while in an upright position at a location on the conveyor, herein referred to as a ware receiving or loading station, and simultaneously lift the ware free of the conveyor surface and against a headplate to avoid dragging the bottom of the ware on the conveyor and seat the ware in an axially aligned position. The headplate, which is located slightly above the entering moil end of the ware, prevents the ware from tipping at the time it is picked up from the conveyor. Thereafter, the gripped ware is moved toward the circular path of movement of the chucks on the burn-01f machine and registered in vertical alignment with the chuck at a point for placing the ware into a burn-off chuck, this being referred to herein as a ware delivery or unloading station. In an operation where the ware is being loaded to a machine utilizing inverted chucks, the ware is inverted during this movement to the delivery station. The headplate further serves to align the ware for this transfer, and, in the operation where the ware need be inverted, it serves as a resting plate for the ware at the time the jaws release it for pick-up by the chuck.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel ware handling apparatus which will grip the ware at its moil end, and, concurrently with such gripping, lift the ware free from its support on the moving conveyor and seat it against a headplate to align and support it for subsequent handling.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a ware handling apparatus that is fully adjustable and adaptable to handle various ware sizes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel ware pick-up mechanism and means for operating it for picking up and releasing articles of ware.

Having set forth some of the broad objects of the invention, the specific nature of this invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the annexed sheets of drawings, on which, by way of preferred example only, is illustrated one practical embodiment of this invention, with two alternative forms of operation.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view of the rotary ware loader, and illustrates the operation of the loader for loading inverted chucks on a burn-off machine.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ware loader, ware retarder, and straight line conveyor, illustrating the one form of the invention for loading Ware from the Conveyor t0 inverted burn-off chucks.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevational view of the upper portion of the loader, as was illustrated on FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the turret of the rotary loader as it would appear at the delivery station s'ide adjacent the burn-off machine.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the invention for loading ware picked up in an upright position and inverted during transfer to the delivery point.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of one of the ware pick-up mechanisms of the invention mounted on the rotatable turret of the rotary loader, shown as it would appear in position for holding ware inverted on the loader.

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of the Ware pick-up mechanism of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8'is a sectional elevational view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a sectional plan view taken along line 99 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a sectional plan view taken along line 1tl1t} of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a sectional elevational view of the turret of the rotary loader, which illustrates it adapted to a second form of operation under the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a detailed plan view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 11.

In its operation, the present invention serves to automatically remove glassware articles from a conveyor and load them into an annular series of revolving burn-off chucks. As was mentioned, to perform this loading, the glassware may need to be turned over or inverted. The mechanism employed to achieve this loading of a moving rotary machine is closely synchronized with the various other units associated with it to go toward making up an entirely automatic glassware shop which accomplishes all of the handling of the articles during manufacture mechanically without detrimental contact on the portion of the aricle to be in the finished product. To do this in an efficient and rapid manner has been a long sought objective of this industry.

Thus, in operation of such an automatic glassware shop, the ware is delivered from the forming machine and transferred-to a straight line conveyor in an upright position. The ware is spaced on the conveyor and moved in such a manner as to obtain the proper cooling prior to handling for burn-oif. Thus, as the ware is deposited at a relatively wide spacing and moved at a relatively fast rate on the conveyor, a retarding device is employed momentarily to slow down the ware just at the time it reaches the loading station for pick-up by the ware handling units of the rotary burn-off loader. This retarder positions the bottle accurately with respect to the ware-engaging members on the pick-up mechanism so that each piece of ware may be received by one of these mechanisms and easily grasped. The ware is retarded and positioned to be picked up by jaws on the ware pickup mechanism, which engage the ware on the moil just under the finish. Since the loader must be closely synchronized withthe moving chucks on the rotary burn-off machine, both as to linear speed and position, the loader is driven directly from the burn-off machine, and this drive includes a means for obtaining position synchronization. The section of the moil just under the finish is conventionally formed with a downwardly and inwardly tapered surface that is substantially frusto-conical. As the jaws are caused to close, they have a relatively thin inner facing edge which engages this tapered moil surface, and the closing force causes the ware to be lifted upwardly by the jaws seeking to close on the smallest diameter in that area of the moil taper. Each ware pick-up mechanism has a horizontal headplate spaced to overlie the jaws at pick-up. The rim of the moil will then be lifted to seat against this headplate to position and support the ware in correct alignment for transfer. After the ware has been picked up from the conveyor, the pick-up mechanism may be bodily rotated about a horizontal axis to invert the ware for loading into an inverted chuck on the burn-off. At the time the pick-up mechanism reaches the unloading station, which is the delivery point'to the chuck, the were will have been carried in vertical registration with the opening of the chuck, and the chuck brought down over the bottom end of the ware. About the time the chuck is eing lowered, the jaws are opened and the ware is supported on the headplate momentarily. After the ware is fully transferred and loaded to the chuck, the pick-up mechanism and chuck move away from cash other, and the pick-up mechanism is again rotated 180 to a position preparatory for picking up another article. During the time when the ware is being loaded to the burn-01f chuck during its travel into the ware unloading station, the ware pick-up mechanism is manipulated radially on the turret to cause the ware to follow the same path as the chuck.

Referring now to the drawings, a more detailed description of the invention will be undertaken.

On FIG. 1, the aforementioned fully automatic shop for-producing glassware includes a rotary forming machine which has a plurality of circumferentially spaced wareforming units or heads which deliver formed ware successively to the transfer arm assembly of a rotary transfer mechanism. This mechanism carries the ware over a straight line conveyor 12 which is spaced horizontally from the forming machine. The ware is transferred and deposited successively on conveyor 12 in a predetermined spaced relationship for travel in a single line straight pat-h toward a rotary multiple chuck burn-off machine d3. Intermediate the burn-off machine and the conveyor, the subject matter of the present invention is employed for performing automatic loading of the burn-off machine. By way of a general reference, a ware retarding device =14 is operated along one side of the conveyor 12. This device 14, which is to be presently described more in detail, has a plurality of fingers '15 (FIG. 2) which are moved in a path extending over the conveyor surface and along the same direction as the were will travel while on the conveyor 12. The fingers lt move at a predetermined rate that is slower than the ware movement on the conveyor. The fingers 15 thus act to intercept the ware by momentary contact with it as near its bottom as possible just priorto its transfer from the conveyor, and thereby position and synchronize the ware with the moving ware pick-up mechanisms of the rotary ware loader 16.

There are a number of these ware pick-up mechanisms provided on the loader 16, and they each are carried in a circular path that extends over the conveyor 12. The fingers =15 and the ware pick-up mechanisms are timed and synchronized with each other to enable loading the ware at a ware-receiving station or loading station on the conveyor. The loader 16 then transfers the ware to a chuck on the burn-off machine 13, as will be presently described. While on this latter machine, the moil portion of the ware is-burned off to finish the article. The finished articles are removed by a take-out mechanism or unloader 17- and transferred onto a lehr cross conveyor 18 from which they are loaded into the lehr 19.

As seen on FIG. =1, the loader 16 comprises a base 2t) having leg supports 2% adjustable for height with respect to the floor through their connection with structural members 2%. Near the bottom of the base 20 is a vertical shaft 21 rigidly attached in place at a casting 22 and held by the end nut 2-3. As another stationary part of the machine, an upper casting 24 is keyed onto the shaft 21 at key 25 in the vertical key slot 26. The casting '24 is held to a selected elevation thereon.

The loader to is. driven by an operative connection between the base bull gear of the burn-off machine and a driven gear of a transmission unit. The transmission unit has an output shaft connected by a coupling 36 and its end universal joint connection 32 to a stub shaft 33 that is bearing-mounted in the journal box 34. This journal box is rigidly fastened to the base 20. Keyed on the opposite end of the stub shaft 33 is bevel drive gear 35. This gear is in meshing engagement with a matching beveled spider 36 rotatably mounted on shaft 21. The spider gear 36 is fastened rigidly with an upper casting which provides an annular driver member 37. These parts 36 and 37 are rotatably mounted in a bearing 38 provided by the annular casting 39 which is bolted to the base it by the studs it? at the integrally fastened side lugs 41. The casting 39 has an upper capped annular flange 42. fastened by a bolt 43.

The annular driver member 37 forms part of a detent clutch and carries one or more detent units 44. Each of these units includes a detent plunger 45 that is forced in a radially inward direction by a spring assembly 46. Fitting concentrically within the annular driver member is an annular driven member 47 which forms another part of the mentioned detent clutch. The driven member 47 is likewise rotatable about the shaft 21 and includes a corresponding number of detent notches 48 capable of receiving the inner end of the detent plungers 45 for normally holding the driven member 47 in engagement with the driver member 37 to be driven thereby. The annular position of the detent plungers engaged in the detent notches of the just described clutch provides for an annular position of the ware pick-up mechanisms of the loader that will be synchronized in space with the chucks of the burn-off machine as these two just mentioned units are rotated at any given rate of rotation of the burnoff bull gear 2 7 through the just described drive connection to the annular driver member 37. The detent clutch also provides a safety feature for the loader to. In case of jam-up or interference of the moving parts of the turret. the spring assemblies 46 will yield under a predetermined torque and allow the clutch to slip. integrally secured with the driven member 47 is an integral sleeve structure as which serves as a tubular drive shaft con nected to the lower spider d of the turret by bolts 51. Both the tubular shaft 49 and the spider 54 are rotatable about the vertical shaft 21.

The lower spider 55 forms part of the turret which includes a housing 52. This housing provides radial mountings for the illustrated ten ware pick-up mechanisms, each identified generally by reference numeral so, spaced equally about the turret (see FIGS. 2 and 4). Integrally connected at the upper side of the housings 52 is an upper annular bearing plate 53. This upper plate is rotatable on the annular radial flange 54 of the casting 24 which is held stationary on the vertical shaft 21 (FIG. 3). Each of the were pick-up mechanisms on is mounted in a bored cylinder 55 of housing 52 in a similar manner. The mechanism 69 has a shaft 61 journal mounted for radial shifting movement in a bore of the cylindrical sleeve member 63 (see :FIG. 11).

Referring now to FTGS. 4 and 12, each shaft 61 has a pressed-on collar 72 formed with an annular raceway in the form of a groove 73. A yoke 74 rides in the groove 73 and is pivotally mounted on a pin 75 for rotation therewith. Pivotal movement of the yoke 74 thus transmits an axial force to shaft all at its collar '72. The pin 75 is rotatably mounted in a bracket 76 fastened to the housing 52 at the periphery of the turret. The lower end of pin 75 carries an arm attached to drive the pin. At the outer end of arm 77 is a rotatable roller 7 3 attached by a pivot pin. The roller 78 acts as a cam follower. The shaft 61 is normally under force for radial extension. As the turret is rotated, the cam follower 78 engages the rise on a cam 82. This cam 32 is held stationary by fastening it at bolts on the base Ztl. As the roller 73 engages the rise of the cam, the arm 77 is forced in a counterclockwise direction, which drives the pin 75' and yoke 74 in that same direction, and forces the unit as radially inwardly to retract it under control of the cam $52. This cam is developed and located on the base 29 in proper position to cause the piece of ware carried by the unit 69 to follow a selected path the same as the path of a chuck on the rotary carriage of the rotary machine which it is to serve. Thus, with the unit 6%? normally held in its extended position, the ware is normally carried in a regular circular path 13 until that path approaches a point of intersection with the circular path C of the chuck on the rotary machine (FIG. 2). At this point, the cam 82 will operate the lever means comprised of the parts 77, 75, and 74, so as to alter this circular path of the ware as B which will coincide with the circular path of the chuck. As the paths coincide and the ware and the chuck are in registry, the transfer of the ware from the unit 69 to the chuck may be carried out. As shown on FIG. 1, this transfer occurs at a ware unloading station at which a burn-off chuck 85 is lowered from the phantom outline position to the solid outline over the base of the tumbler T. With the tumbler T received therein, vacuum is applied to the chuck $5 through the passage 86, which will hold the ware thereon. At the time the chuck is being lowered over the tumbler, the tumbler handling device 69 is being operated to release the tumbler. As shown on the drawings, the tumbler subsequently travels in the circular path of the chuck 85 on the rotary machine, and the chuck is later actuated to lower the tumbler into an annular underlying burner 87 on the rotary carriage of the burn-off machine 13. While in this position, the tumbler is rotated and the annular fiame burns off the moil portion of the Ware.

The article handling devices as each comprise a ware pick-up mechanism shown in detail on FIGS. 6-10. Each unit 6h has a frame 9b. The frame 93 is fastened to an integral plate 91 at the outer end of the shaft 61 by a cap screw 92. The frame 99 is recessed to fit around the square plate 91 so that it is held securely against rotation with respect to the shaft. The upper end of the frame 9t? provides an integral housing 93 having a pair of side-by-side holes 94 which receive two vertically disposed shafts 95 and 96. A headplate member 97 fits around the other end of the frame $0 in a dovetail slidable mounting, and is held in position by an adjusting screw 98 threaded into the headplate member $7 near one end and into the upper casting 93 of the frame at its other end. This adjusting screw mounting permits varying the location of the headplate 97 by sliding it along the frame 90. The headplate member 97 also has a pair of bored holes 99 aligned with the holes 94 to accommodate the shafts 95 and 96. Thus, the shafts are mounted parallel for rotation on the frame of the unit. Opposed gripping jaws 1% and TM are keyed onto the shafts $5 and dd, respectively. Each of the ware gripping jaws comprises arms ltltla and tibia and jaw inserts llltlb and Nib. The inserts are detachably connected to these arms by cap screws 1%. The inserts have a thin arcuate inner facing edge surface 183 that may be closed about the ware and engage its sides in picking it up for loading it to the ware pick-up mechanism. As shown on FIGS. 13 and 14, the inserts are chamfered toward the surface 163 as at 104. The inserts are changeable to suit the diameter of the articles selected to be handled.

The arms liltla and Mia are journaled about their shafts 95 and as and held between the boss 97a and the horizontal headplate 97b, both rigidly supported by the headplate member 97. The member 97, as was previously mentioned, as well as the two arms llltla and lltlla, is slidable axially along the shafts 95 and 96, respectively, by the adjusting screw 98. The arms are fastened to the shafts so as to be rotatable thereby by a set screw 186 in an axial keyway 165. The boss 97a is bolted to the headplate 97!: at bolt 167, which extends through a spacer Jltltl held therebetween. Thus, the jaws and headplate may be adjusted along the frame 9% to accommodate various sizes of ware.

The upper ends of the shafts 95 and 96 each have a gear 109 and 110 keyed onto them, the two gears being constructed so as to be in meshing engagement with each other. Cam followers 111 and 112 are rigidly fastened to the shafts 95 and 96, respectively, at a point axially beyond the gears 109 and 110. These cams constitute drivable members on each of the shafts and are disposed in a cooperating relationship to permit counter revolutions of the shafts upon actuation by a cam 113. This cam 113 constitutes a driver member and is journaled about a pin 114 extending through housing 93 fastened by nut 115 (FIG. 8). The cam 113 has an integral lever arm 116 which has an integrally attached cross bar 117. The cross bar mounts a pair of cam followers in the form of rollers 118 and 119, these two rollers being disposed on opposite sides of the cross bar 117. These two cam followers will be engageable, one at a time, with different cams mounted on the machine for rotating the lever 11-5 in one direction or the other about the pivot 114. This will impart rotation to the cam 115, which will drive one or the other of the cam followers 111 or 112. If, for example, the cam 113 is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 16, it will drive the cam follower 111 in the counterclockwise direction, causing its gear 109 to drive gear 110 and its shaft 96 in the clockwise direction. This rotation of the two shafts will rotate the ware gripping jaws 100 and 101 in opposite directions for opening them. The contoured shape of the cam follower 112 will permit this rotation. Counterclockwise rotation of cam 113 will produce the same opening movement of the jaws by driving cam follower 112 and shaft 96 clockwise, which will rotate gear 110 to drive gear 109 and its shaft 95 counterclockwise.

The gripping jaws 100 and 101 are forced toward each other to the closed position by similar torsion springs 120, oppositely wound and mounted, which work on their respective shafts 95 and 96 oppositely one to the other. The one end of each spring is fastened to the underside of housing 93 by a screw fastener 121. The other end of each of the coils of the springs 120 is fastened onto the respective shafts 95 and 96 by a screw fastener 122. This provides a resilient means for normally urging the gripping jaws into their closed position, and the springs have sufiicient torsional torque effect upon the shafts to hold the jaws in closed position for loading and supporting an article of ware on each of the units 60 by a manner to be presently described.

As previously mentioned, the units 60 are mounted for carriage by the rotation of the turret about the vertical axis 21. As shown on FIG. 2, the base 20 of the loader 16 is situated with respect to conveyor 12 and the burnoff machine 13 so that the jaws 100 and 101 of each of the ware handling devices 60 intersect the path of the upright articles T at a tangent point to that path over the conveyor. At this time, the units 60 are held in their radially extended positions. The straight path of the center of the articles T is indicated at A. The path of the center of the jaws is a circle indicated at B. As the articles T approach the loading station on the conveyor, they will engage a ware retarder finger 15 of the ware retarder device 14.

As seen on FIG. 3, this device is constructed as follows: An endless carriage in the form of a roller chain 123 is engaged on the teeth of sprockets 124 and 125. Sprocket 124 is keyed onto vertical shaft 126 that is hearingmounted in brackets 127. The brackets 127 are rigidly attached to the side of the conveyor frame 128 at the structural reinforcing plate 129. The sprocket 125 is keyed onto vertical shaft 130 bearing-mounted in brackets 131. The brackets 131 are retained for horizontal sliding movement along the structure 129, and adjusted by the screw'elements 132 threaded through bracket 133 which is rigidly attached to the structure 129. By this means, the carriage chain may be properly tightened. The fingers 15 are mounted onto links of the chain 123 by suitable slide mounts 134. These permit forward and 0 rearward adjustment of the position'of each finger 15 with respect to the others. Preferably, the fingers are carried at an elevation such that they will engage the ware on conveyor 12 as near their bottom end as may be practical. They are carried at a height so as to engage the side of the tumblers illustrated near the sham section. This will decrease any tendency to tip the ware. Also, this region of the ware is the least sensitive to deformity. The fingers 15 are of a length to project across the conveyor 12 and intercept articles moving along path A. The fingers 15 have a covering of asbestos material on the ware-engaging side to reduce chilling effect and provide a cushioned surface on contact with the glass.

The carriage is driven by a chain drive 135 (FIG. 1). The drive off the shaft 49 has a predetermined gear ratio for moving the fingers 15- on the chain carriage 123 at the same linear speed as the centers of the jaws while traveling on path B. The fingers may be adjustably timed for engaging the ware on the conveyor as desired. The fingers 15 should make contact with the ware at about the time the jaws and 101 of the units 60 begin closing. This closing of the jaws for loading ware will be presently described.

The units 60 are loaded at the loading station as they are moved over the conveyor 12 by opening their gripping jaws 100 and 101 by the cam roller 118 of each rolling on the cam 88 which is a plate cam bolted on the base 20. Cam 88 is developed so rollers 118 will successively actuate the jaws to their open position as each unit 60 is carried toward the conveyor (see FIG. 2). Thence, the cam will permit the jaws to close about the moil of the tumbler T at a point about 10 of rotation before the tangent point P is reached. It is preferred that the cam 88 provide for rapid closing movement of the jaws for loading. In picking up the ware, the jaws 100 and 101 are kept open until the article is about to come under control of a retarder finger 15 and be brought between the jaws by the convergent movement of the unit 60 and the articles. At about this point, the incline of the conveyor 12 occurs to elevate the article and place the moil well within the bite of the jaws, whereupon the cam 88 permits the jaws to immediately close under force of their springs 120. The retarder finger 15 actually need contact the ware for but a fraction of a second before the jaws are closed on the moil. Upon closing, the jaws engage the moil of the ware just under the top rim. Below this point,'the moil is tapered inwardly'and the continued closing force of the thin arcuate engaging edge 103 of each of the jaws lifts the ware bodily toward the overlying horizontal headplate 97b. The rim of the ware seats on this plate and the jaws hold the ware in upright suspended fashion. This will have occurred by the time the unit 60 and the ware have reached the point of divergence between it and the conveyor (path A) beyond the tangent point P. With the bottom of the article free of the conveyor 12, the circular path B may be followed toward the ware unloading station at the burn-off machine without dragging the bottom of the ware on the conveyor. Meanwhile, the conveyor 12 is running off the inclined pad 71. This will-further separate it from the bottom surface of the ware. As indicated on FIG. 2, the carriage of the burn-off ascribes to its chucks a circular path C. Under this, the first form of operation'of the invention, the units 60 are made to invert by rotation about the radial axis of the mounting shaft 61 prior to reaching the unloading station.

The units 60 are retained in position so that their jaws 100 and 101 are held horizontal. As the turret is powered to rotate about the center shaft 21, each pick-up mechanism 60, after being loaded with a piece of ware, will invert to carry the ware to the unloading station in inverted fashion so that the headplate 97b of the warehandling apparatus is lowermost.

Thus, the ware pick-up mechanisms are each loaded in 16 manner d s ribed .above during movement of each unit 60 through the ware loading station in path B (FIG. 2). The ware is loaded in upright position under influence of the loading cam 88 operating the cam roller 118 and lever 116 responsive to rotary motion of the turret. The ware is then carried while the unit 60 undergoes 180 of rotation about its axis along shaft 61 to place the ware in inverted position. As the circular movement in path B continues, this path reaches a point of intersection with the circular path C of the chucks on the rotary burn-off machine carriage. As was earlier described, the units 69 and a chuck 85 are synchronized to meet at this point in vertical alignment. At this intersection, the bottom of the ware is in vertical registry with the overhead burn-off chuck 85, as shown in FIG. 1. This marks the origin of the ware unloading station. At this time, the cam roller 73 engages the cam 82 to shift the unit 66 radially on its splined mounting by the bell-crank type linkage 7775--- 74 biasing the internal spring. The path of the ware is then altered to retain the ware in registry with the chuck through the path B (FIGS. 2 and While the ware is moving in the path B, the chuck 85 lowers, and the waregripping jaws are actuated to their open position. As the jaws are opened by pivotal movement of lever 116, the Ware is allowed to rest on the headplate 97b of its unit 60. After the unit progresses in its rotary movement past the unloading station, and the ware is transferred to a chuck 85 for carriage thereby, the cam 82 terminates to cause the unit of to extend again to travel in the circular path B. The cam 84 also terminates, which causes the jaws to close. Thereafter, the unit 69 is again rotated 180 to the upright position for picking up another article.

Having just described one form of the invention for transferring upright ware to inverted chucks, it will now become apparent, upon describing the next form of the invention, that it fulfills the purpose of a universal automatic ware loader. This, the second form of the invention, provides for transfer of ware from a conveyor 12 in the upright position to a chuck of a rotary burn-off machine in upright position, moving in its horizontal circular path, the same as before, but in underlying relationship to the bottom of the ware undergoing transfer.

Referring to FIG. 11, the loader 16 may be converted to this second form of operation by removing the annular gear plate 152 and the guide plates 148 and 149 from the previously described mechanism. This may be accomplished by removing the upper annular bearing plate 53 from the housing 52 after removing the bolts 53a (FIG. 2). The upper casting 24 may then be pulled and these parts 148, 149, and 152 removed by unscrewing the bolts These parts are replaced by a one-piece annular bearing plate 157 which provides a bearing surface for the hats 147 of the sleeve member 63 of each unit 60 about the entire circle of the movement provided by the rotary turret. The bevel gear segments are thus omitted from the structure. This will retain the units in the same position without invert and revert, as contrasted to the practice under the first form of operation described earlier. The plate 157 is bolted in place at the same threaded holes but with appropriate bolts, such as indicated by 158.

Since the units 61) will not now be inverted at the unloading station, a cam 159 is fastened at 160 on the base to perform the function of opening the jaws of each unit for unloading. This cam is of similar contour and is peripherally located to serve substantially the same function as cam 84 did in opening the gripping jaws to release the ware. The cam roller 119 is shown in contact with the cam for this purpose. In this form of invention, the burn-off chucks, here indicated as 161, are upright. They are loaded by raising them vertically on the rotary 1t) burn-off carriage to receive the bottom of the ware therein. The chuck should be nearly in fully raised position at the time the jaws release the ware. This will result in but a short drop for the ware into the chuck, but enough to clear the ware gripping jaws of the units 60 as the paths B and C diverge.

In all other respects, the loader and associated mechanisms are operated as previously described.

The showing in FIG. 12 illustrates the same means for controlling the horizontal path of the ware as it enters and travels on the rotary moving pick-up mechanisms 60 in the ware unloading station defining the altered path B for retaining the ware in registry with the underlying burn-0E chucks.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be modified through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An article holding device comprising a frame, a pair of opposed gripping jaws, a shaft mounting each said jaw on the frame for pivoting them toward and away from each other, means fastened on the frame and operatively connected to each said shaft normally forcing the jaws toward each other, a gear on each said shaft, the two gears being in meshing engagement, a drivable member on each shaft, a driver member, means pivotally mounting said drive member on the frame and arranged for engaging said member with one of said drivable memhers by rotation in either direction, and means connected to said driver member operable for rotating the latter for moving the jaws away from each other upon rotation of the driver member in either direction.

2. An article holding device comprising a frame including a mounting attachment for mounting on a carriage, a pair of opposed jaw members having thin arcuate inner facing surfaces, a shaft mounting each said jaw on the frame for pivotal movement toward and away from the other said jaw for assuming open and closed positions, resilient means on said frame and operatively connected to each said shaft for urging the jaw members closed, a gear on each said shaft, the two gears being in meshing engagement, a cam follower on each shaft, a cam, an arm connected at one end to actuate said cam, a pivotal mounting locating said cam for operating engagement alternatively with one of said cam followers, a third cam follower on the other end of said arm engageable with a second cam to rotate the arm and its cam, thereby engaging one of the cam followers and rotating that shaft to move one jaw member open, the gear on that shaft driving the other gear to rotate its shaft for moving its jaw member open.

3. The device defined in claim 2, wherein the pairs of opposed jaw members each comprise an arm carried on their respective shafts, and an insert removably attached on each arm, the inserts being oppositely disposed on the arms and inwardly tapered terminating to define a thin innermost arcuately contoured edge surface having a curvature corresponding to the circumferential curvature of an article to be gripped upon closing the jaws therearound.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,654,091 Peiler Dec. 27, 1927 1,811,832 Mayers June 23, 1931 2,888,131 Allen May 26, 1959 2,984,337 Couch et al. May 16, 1961 3,034,822 Eldred May 15, 1962 

1. AN ARTICLE HOLDING DEVICE COMPRISING A FRAME, A PAIR OF OPPOSED GRIPPING JAWS, A SHAFT MOUNTING EACH SAID JAW ON THE FRAME FOR PIVOTING THEM TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, MEANS FASTENED ON THE FRAME AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO EACH SAID SHAFT NORMALLY FORCING THE JAWS TOWARD EACH OTHER, A GEAR ON EACH SAID SHAFT, THE TWO GEARS BEING IN MESHING ENGAGEMENT, A DRIVABLE MEMBER ON EACH SHAFT, A DRIVER MEMBER, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID DRIVE MEMBER ON THE FRAME AND ARRANGED FOR ENGAGING SAID MEMBER WITH ONE OF SAID DRIVABLE MEMBERS BY ROTATION IN EITHER DIRECTION, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVER MEMBER OPERABLE FOR ROTATING THE LATTER FOR MOVING THE JAWS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER UPON ROTATION OF THE DRIVER MEMBER IN EITHER DIRECTION. 